University Offering Master's Degree in Social Media

Do you tweet enough to considered a professional? Know the ins-and-outs of Facebook like a CPA does tax law? If you’re entrenched in social media and want something more than a recent status message to show for it, then Birmingham City University (in Birmingham, England) may have just the degree for you. The one-year course will earn you a Master’s degree in Social Media, making you either the coolest or geekiest college grad your friends know.

Jon Hickman, the course convener, had to convince the school’s committees to approve the course and prove its relevancy. He admits its “importance is questionable,” but that the learnings will be meaningful for those in marketing, PR and other communications fields.

“It’s not for freaks or IT geeks, the tools learnt on this course will be accessible to many people. During the course we will consider what people can do on Facebook and Twitter, and how they can be used for communication and marketing purposes,” says Hickman. “There has been significant interest in the course already, and it will definitely appeal to students looking to go into professions including journalism and PR.”

While college students have always been open to the easy classes (i.e. basket weaving), some are critical of the lack of substance this course may offer.

“Virtually all of the content of this course is so basic it can be self taught,” says Birmingham-based student Jamie Waterman. “In fact, most people know all this stuff already. I think it’s a complete waste of university resources.”